Book-cover



W. Nl. RHOADS.

BOOK COVER.

APPLlCATiON FILED AUG.5, 1921.

Patented Nov. 229 R921...

y To all whom t may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENTl OFFICE.

WILLIAM 1I. BHOADS, OF PHILADELPHIA., PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO PENN PUB- LISHING COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA..

BOOK-COVER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

-1 Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Application led August 5, 1921. Serial No. 490,012.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM M. RHoAns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Book- Covers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

t is a custom in the publishing trade to place a paper cover loosely around each book when the latter is shipped from the bindery for the purpose of protecting the book so that it shall reach the hands of the purchaser in'good condition and with a similar object in view books are ordinarily sold by the retailer and delivered to the customer with this cover in place, and it is usual in the publishing trade to employ certain portions of these loose covers for advertising or descriptive matter. Frequently, however, the cover is removed from the book by the purchaser immediately the reading of the book is commenced, so that the advertising matter thereon is not continuously kept before the eyes of the reader and the maximum possible value thereof is lost.

A principal object of my invention is to provide a book cover or jacket of improved construction embodying a readily detachable portion which, upon receipt of the book by the purchaser may be readily detached from the cover and utilized as a book mark without in any way destroying the appearance or utility of the cover so that the latter may thereafter be kept'on the book if desired in a manner exactly similar to that in which the ordinary covers are used, and to so arrange the detachable portion of the cover as to a'ord a convenient and satisfactory medium for the effective display of any advertising matter, for example the titles or descrlptlon of other books by the same author. Thus as a book mark is generally employed while the book is being read, the arrangement of the cover in such a manner as to provide a portion for convenient detachment in a form suitable for use as a book mark without destroyin the function 'of the cover for its particu ar purpose contributes materlally to the utility of the whole device, and as a book mark 1s requently used for a relatively long tlme after the cover is destroyed or thrown away, a'ords an opportunity for continuously bringing home to the reader. of the book the message embodied in the reading matter or other advertising which may be printed on the mark.

Further objects of my invention are to provide a book cover embodying a readily detachable portion suitable for the use as a book mark which may be manufactured at la cost not materially greater than that of the ordinary form of book cover; which is attractive in appearance and which is adapted to be utilized to perform its function both before and after the detachment of the said detachable portion.

These and other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawing, in which I have shown in Figure l a perspective view of a book with one of my improved book covers applied thereto in the usual manner and in the condition in which the cover is sent out by the publisher. In Fig. 2, the same book is shown with the cover in position thereon but with the detachable portion thereof removed and inserted between the leaves of the book to serve as a book mark, while Fig. 3 is a plan view on a reduced scale of the cover removed from the book and developed into the plane of the paper.

Referring more specifically to that form of the invention shown in the drawing, the same comprises a rectangular, elongated strip of paper or other suitable material which is adapted to be folded transversely on lines rear covers of the book in the ordinary manner.

It will be observed that the sections 4 and 5 are of a substantially similar size and symmetrically disposed with respect to the sec-tion 3, but that the distance from the folding line L between sections 4 and 6 to the extreme end of the strip of material is greater than the distancebetween the folding line L and the adJacent end of the strip.

Extending 'transversely of the strip and preferably at a distance from the outer edge of the section 4 equal to the Width of the section 7, is a line of perforations or other suitable means adapted to facilitate the detachment from the body of the cover of that portion thereof lying beyond the outer edge of the section 6, so that by tearing the cover across on the line of the' perforations a relatively narrow strip 12 may be detached from the body of the cover, said strip being adapted and suitable for convenient use as a book mark.

It will be understood that ordinarlly suitable printed matter or illustrations are placed on the side of the cover which is exposed to view when the cover 1s in position on the book and that other printed matter will also preferably be placed on one or both sides of the section 12, as well as the word Book mark to suggest the purpose for which the detachable sect1on is intended.

In use, the cover is placed about the book with the section 3 at the back thereof and the sections 6 and 7 folded down against the inside of the covers as shown in Fig. 1. Under these conditions it will be noted that the cover, including the section 12, extends more completely over the inside of the front cover of the book than over the inside rear cover thereof, but that when the section 12 is detached, which may be done if desired without removing the whole cover from the book, the remaining portion of the cover becomes substantially symmetrical with respect to the center line of the book and may thereafter be employed in the usual manner to suitably encompass the book.

Thus it will be observed that the removal of the section l2 in no way interferes with the purpose and function of the major portion of the cover nor the appearance thereof; and the employment of my invention therefore in no way detracts from the utility of the cover as such either before or after the detachment of the section 12, while providing a handy and readily utilizable book mark for the purchaser which is capable of vserving a very desirable purpose as an advertising medium during the reading of the book and irrespective of whether the cover is retained thereon or destroyed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States:

1. A device of the class described, comprising an elongated strip of material adapted to be folded along spaced, transversely extending lines to form a relatively narrow section, sections of equal width on each side ofand adjacent thereto and end sections of unequal width, one of said end sections being provided with a transversely extending row of perforations to facilitate the detachment of the extreme end portion of the section therefrom, said perforations being disposed at such a point that when said end section is detached the remaining portion of the devicewill be substantially symmetrical with respect to said relatively narrow section.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a substantially rectangular strip of material adapted to be folded or bent on transversely extending spaced lines so as to form a relatively narrow section adapted to rest against the back of a book, sections of equal width lying adjacent and on each side of said narrow sect1on adapted to rest against the outer sides of the cover of a book, and end sections of unequal width adapted to be folded against the inside of said covers, said strip having transversely extending means in one of said end sections adapted to facilitate the detachment of the extreme end portion of the section .from the main portion thereof, said means being positioned at such point in the section that when said outer portion is detached the remaining portion of the section will be substantially equal in width to the corresponding section at the other end of the strip.I

kA device of the class described, comprising substantially a rectangular, elongated strip of flexible material adapted to be folded along transversely extending lines so as to encompass a book and form a cover therefor, said strip comprising when folded a portion lying adjacent the back of the book, portions adjacent the outside of the covers of the book and portions adjacent the 1 ns1de of the covers thereof, said last mentioned portions being of unequal width, and one of said portions having a line of perforations extending thereacross to facilitate detachment of the end of the portion to enable the same to be utilized as a bookniark, s aid portion being initially of suflicient width so that after the detachment of the end p ortion the remaining part of the portion will be of substantially equal width to the corresponding end portion at the other end of the strip.

12A device of the class described, comprising an elongated strip of exible material adapted to be bent on transversely extending lines so as to encompass a book and form a jacket therefor, said strip comprising when folded a lportion adapted to lie adjacent the back of the book, portions adjacent the outside covers of the book and portions adjacent the inside of the covers thereof, said last mentioned portions being of unequal Width and the Wider portion having means extending thereacross adapted to facilitate detachment of the end of thev portion from the main part thereof, said porof the rernalnmg part of the portion will extend inwardly from the outer edge of 15 the cover for a distance substantially equal to the corresponding portion at they other end of the strip.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 4th daf)7 of August, 1921.

WILLIAM M. RHOADS. 

